We’d love to share with you an article by Mai Fawaz, a Kingstown College alumni.

Be the Change

by Mai Fawaz

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Mahatma Gandhi

What does that mean? If we want a peaceful world then we should be peaceful, if we want honesty then we should be honest, if we want freedom then we should be free. It is absolutely true but when Gandhi said those words he was talking about a much deeper journey of transformation. One that requires courage, honesty and integrity. We often disempower ourselves by being trapped in the reality of the physical world and our physical abilities but the truth is we are much more capable than we believe we are. The reality is we are not our bodies, our possessions or our social status. We are not anything the physical world has labeled us to be. We are a conscious being trapped in a physical body. Everything that exists is much more flexible than we believe it is. The world is one large sea of energy where everything is connected to everything else. It is as fluid as water. If we want to create change all we need to do is to throw in a small pebble Be the Change “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi 25 26 Inspiration No.03 | Nov 2015 to get the fluid moving. The pebble creates a ripple effect. Sometimes we are only able to see the small waves that surrounds us but actually the ripples expand across the entire sea; moving from one person to another. Everything that exists whether it’s physical or nonphysical is pure energy; nature, sound, colors, oxygen, the wind, thoughts, emotions, the chair your sitting in, your house, your car, your physical body, the stars, your dog, etc. exists only as a result of this very same energy. We literally shape, create and become what we think about the most. Our lives are becoming what we have imagined and believed in the most because we have dedicated so much thoughts into becoming what we are today. We have the ability to change the world if we dedicate enough energy into creating what we want.

The way we see ourselves is what defines our capabilities. A good step towards realizing our true potential is understanding our belief system.

Ask yourself:

What are the obstacles stopping you from getting what you want? What are your greatest fears?

Be bold! Remember you are not defined by your fears. You are how you see yourself not how the world sees you.

What would you need to believe to be true about your reality so as to change your current circumstances?

What if we can begin to design a new belief system about the nature of our reality? A belief system with no limitations. A system where nothing is impossible and everything is possible. Get out of your skin. Get out of your body. Escape your limitations.

Who are you? What defines you?

Write down your positive affirmations and keep repeating them to yourself. Keep reminding yourself. You own it. The solution lies within you.

To put more integrity into what we believe about ourselves we need to start taking action. We need to throw in the pebble. If we want this to work more effectively it has to be an action we genuinely want and something that is so deep and intense so that it has the ability to create larger and powerful waves. Intensity comes from passion. The more passionate we are the more intense our ripples will become. Our passion excites us yet sometimes the thought of it scares us. It only seems scary because it’s challenging our capabilities and it’s exposing the best of us.

Use your heart as your inner compass.

We sometimes don’t know what we want or we pretend not to know because it’s easier to live unconscious of what we really want than to be aware and not be able to create it. There is no shame in hiding or not knowing what we want but becoming mindful of and being able to create what we want is not as hard as we think. If we pay much attention to recognize what we genuinely deep down in our hearts want, over time we will be able to identify a consistent theme derived from a particular cause or a driving desire to change the world in a specific way. All we need to do is to dig deeper and be honest with ourselves. Our passion is connected to our values. For example one might value justice so much so they want to become a lawyer, another might value competition so they want to be an athlete or someone who values creativity so they want to become an artist.

What is the thing you value the most? What do you really want? What is your secret dream?

Usually this falls into two categories, maybe you have experienced tragic pain in the past and are now driven to protect others from the same fate or maybe you have enjoyed a wonderful experience or understanding of a certain focus in the past and you have a strong desire to share the same pleasure with the world. When we open up our hearts and share with courage and vulnerability we defy all the barriers separating us from the universe and from accomplishing our dreams and becoming our most authentic selves. Do not mistake vulnerability for weakness. Being courageous doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid, it only means that you have the inner strength to embrace being vulnerable and still choose to move forward despite the probability of failure. Speak your heart out. Expose yourself to the universe. Tell the universe what you wish for.

A powerful and organized way to do it is to create a personal agenda for change.

What is it?

What do you want to bring to the world? It’s important to see yourself as this change. Imagine being it with all your senses.

What can it do?

Imagine how the world can be a better place by channeling the energy of your values into the world.

How is it going to work?

Define how you are going to position yourself in the physical world. How are you channeling your energy and getting your message across?

When you become more aware of what you really deep down in your heart want and you are open about it, you have identified your passion. You are halfway there but the magic isn’t happening yet because there is a decision you have to make. A life changing decision. One that transforms you and your world. Your passion is something that stimulates you yet it challenges you because it feels so good that you can’t even imagine what it would be like to pursue it every single day of your entire life. But your passion and willingness to pursue it must be stronger than any doubts, obstacles or force of fear in the entire world. This is when you are ready to take your decision.

Be firm with yourself. Create a goal and set a deadline. The moment you have taken the decision followed by the first action towards following your passion is the most significant moment in your entire life. Your journey of transformation has begun. You will never be the same person you used to be and you can never go back to being the same person again. The reason this transformation is so powerful is because for the first time in your life you will realize that fear is an illusion and that you have only created it to protect yourself. The moment you take the first action towards your passion it turns into an obsession. Once you have a taste of what it feels like to pursue the thing you love the most you can never stop, it takes over your entire life and there’s no turning back. It has become the only thing that gives meaning to your life and turning back means living a tasteless meaningless life. Living your passion in every moment requires you to stay in a state of vulnerability, it will be intense but it will be worth every moment because it will bring out the best in you. Taking action towards your passion will lead to creating your purpose.

Now that you have identified your passion and your purpose you are plugged in to the strongest flow of energy you can ever create. When you are living your life aligned to your values, you are becoming and creating the thing you think about the most and you’re doing it effortlessly because you have reached the highest frequencies of energy you could ever reach. Imagine that you can be something with such integrity that you are being it in every moment of your life, the moment you wake up and brush your teeth, at home with your family, at work with your colleagues and when you go out with your friends. You are being the change in every moment in your life, in every situation and with every person you meet. Every day you are creating more and more waves of love, honesty, peace, happiness, freedom, justice, creativity etc.

This transformation is extremely powerful because you are now being more authentic than you have ever been. You are being your most true self and for the first time you will genuinely understand that you are much bigger and powerful than you have ever imagined because you are not separate from the universe. You are not alone and detached. We are all one and we are all connected. We are the same energy yet we have different passions and purposes because our talents compliments each other. Living with purpose helps you become more aware of the oneness of the world and this allows you to operate from a very powerful place. This state of power has no place for the ego, it is a loving and peaceful place. You know that you are not your social states, you are not your possessions, you are not your physical body and you are not defined or restricted by them. You know that you are different than everyone else yet you know that you are not any better because we are all one. It is extremely powerful to understand that you are as great as the universe yet you are extremely humble because you know that we all share the same power and the only difference is that you have become aware of it. You are now actively and consciously changing the world. So, you are actually capable and it’s not so hard after all. Do not stop believing in yourself and do not let the world define your capabilities and please for the love of God, religion, the universe, science, yourself or whatever you believe in “Be the change you wish to see in the world” because the world needs you.